SXM Paws Foundation

Although founder Corinne Mackie has been actively involved in helping the island’s animals since 2005, SXM Paws Foundation was formally established in 2014 with the goal of assisting stray, abandoned and abused animals on Sint Maarten and is made up of a board and a dedicated group of volunteers determined to give these forgotten and neglected animals a chance at a better life.

Since its inception, the foundation has rescued, rehabilitated and found homes for thousands of animals. Shortly after Hurricane Irma devastated the island, Paws came together to rescue the abandoned/stray animals on our island as well as neighboring islands. This culminated in an airlift of over 200 cats and dogs. This was the largest ever animal evacuation on the island.

Sint Maarten has no animal shelter, nor is there any government assistance for rescue organization budgeted by the island government. After almost 2 years of searching for an affordable location and raising the necessary funds for construction, we recently opened a small adoption center with 6 kennels and a small yard to showcase the dogs and puppies that we have available for adoption. Since space is limited, we rely heavily on a network of foster homes where the animals are nurtured until they find their forever family.

Sint Maarten / Saint Martin is only 37 square miles and the number of potential homes is limited, especially in the wake of the hurricane. For this reason we actively seek and encourage adoptions abroad. Via our social presence on FaceBook as well as a wide network of friends and contacts abroad, you might say that we “specialize” in finding loving forever homes in the United States, Canada and Europe, hence our motto, “Take Home A Friend With Paws”.

We take great pride in trying making a positive difference in the lives of the animals that come into our care. Many have suffered unimaginable hardship and mistreatment, most test positive for a variety of illnesses and parasites: our goal is to help them to make the transition from abused animal to beloved pet with their very own forever home.